Written Answers

Friday 14 April 2000

Scottish Executive

Accounts Commission

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5107 by Mr Frank McAveety on 17 March 2000, when it expects to set operational and performance targets for the Accounts Commission.

Mr Frank McAveety: The changes brought about by the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 have delayed this process, but the Scottish Executive expects to have agreed performance indicators with the Accounts Commission by autumn 2000.

Biodiversity

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote the conservation of biodiversity and how it will attain the UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets on (a) Forestry Commission land, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise land and (c) land held by its Rural Affairs Department.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is working to ensure that all Government Departments, Agencies and organisations as well as the private sector are encouraged to contribute to the enhancement of Scotland's biodiversity. While particular action is targeted at a number of priority species and habitats, general conservation measures are also widely encouraged.

  Progress towards the UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets is being achieved by the Forestry Commission through its status as Lead Partner for the BAP woodland habitats and its involvement with a number of species action plans. Highland and Islands Enterprise is funding preliminary work for the Highland Council Local Biodiversity Action Plan and undertakes work towards biodiversity targets across the breadth of its estates and holdings. Land held by the Rural Affairs Department is sympathetically managed, to contribute where appropriate, to specific biodiversity action plans. The department has also recently launched a new Estates Charter, which incorporates recognition of the natural heritage, sustainable development and biodiversity in its estate practices.

Cancer

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve survival rates for men suffering from prostate cancer.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive wants to improve survival rates for all cancers. We have adopted the target of reducing cancer-related premature deaths by 20% between 1995 and 2010.

  The biology of prostate cancer is not yet fully understood. One of the main things, however, which will improve survival rates for prostate cancer is to increase the early reporting of cancers and we encourage men to seek early help and expect GPs to ensure rapid referral for specialist treatment when symptoms appear.

  In order to help increase our understanding of cancers and their treatment, the Scottish Executive has supported a range of cancer-related research projects with funding from the Chief Scientist Office, totalling nearly £2.2 million. Many of the findings of these projects are relevant to prostate cancer.

  The Scottish Cancer Group is also following the progress of a number of studies being undertaken internationally to evaluate new forms of treatment for prostate cancer and is considering how best these might be introduced into Scotland, should the research confirm that they are effective. In addition the Chief Medical Officer’s Clinical Resources and Audit Group has funded an audit of all urological cancers, which includes cancer of the prostate. The audit, starting in 2000, will provide a nationwide picture of the process and treatment of this group of tumours and leave Scotland well placed to demonstrate the effectiveness of new therapies. The possibility of a screening programme is also being kept under review by the UK National Screening Committee.

Cancer

Ms Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take in order to reduce the number of cancer deaths in Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board is working in partnership with all the other agencies in Glasgow to tackle the life circumstances underlying health inequalities and so improve the health of their population. It also targets considerable resources on the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices in relation to diet and nutrition, smoking and physical exercise which have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer.

  The health board has developed programmes with the aim of detecting certain cancers at an early stage. These include improving the attendance by women for breast and cervical screening. General practices are given extra funding to enhance their ability to identify and contact women who have not attended for screening and the board has invested in extra mammography equipment which can be taken to areas where uptake of the service is seen to be low. The health board has also participated in a national multi-centre trial of colorectal cancer screening.

  The health board has invested substantially in audits of cancer care and is able to demonstrate quite clearly how effective its clinicians are in treating cancer.

  A managed clinical network is in place which has been shown to improve substantially the pattern of care for patients with breast cancer. A similar network for gynaecological cancer is being implemented and networks of care for colon and lung cancer are planned. Currently work is underway to identify bottlenecks in cancer services.

  The health board and its Trusts are also embarked on a major programme of refurbishment for the Beatson Oncology Centre. This includes the provision of new radiotherapy equipment.

Careers Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future running of the Glasgow Careers Service.

Henry McLeish: The contract for Glasgow Careers Service, like most careers service companies, was extended from 1 April 2000 for one year to allow time for the Careers Service Review Committee to report their findings, due June 2000. New contracts from 2001 will take account of the findings of the Review Committee.

Community Care

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of its Strategy for Carers on 24 November 1999, what steps have been taken to improve the lives of carers in Scotland.

Iain Gray: Since launching our Strategy for Carers in Scotland , we have been working closely with carers’ organisations and local authority representatives on implementing key measures set out in the strategy. Authorities now have their share of the £10 million ear-marked under the strategy for carers’ services, including respite care. Many are already consulting carers and others on the use of these resources. Monitoring arrangements will ensure that these resources are used appropriately.

  The Carers’ Legislation Working Group was set up in January with a remit to draw up new legislative proposals to better address carers’ needs. The group has met twice to date and we propose to use their recommendations as the basis for public consultation later this year.

  Information packs for young carers are being made available to all primary, secondary and independent schools. These will be available shortly.

  From 1 April, the free NHS Helpline has been able to provide information and advice to carers on a range of issues, including access to local support groups, short-break services and financial assistance. We will shortly be undertaking a national media campaign to alert carers to the strategy and the helpline.

Dental Care

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to remove dental general anaesthesia from the list of treatments available under general dental services or to transfer the administering of dental general anaesthesia to specialist centres.

Susan Deacon: I have asked my officials to work with clinicians to phase out the use of general anaesthesia in NHS general dental practice as soon as practicable. Such services will be transferred to acute hospital centres but I also hope that there will be a continuing reduction in the use of general anaesthesia for treating dentally-anxious patients. Other methods such as local anaesthetic with or without conscious sedation are more appropriate and safer.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government as to whether it will make public the report circulated by Professor Philip Oxley of Cranfield University into the cost/benefit effect of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act on taxi services in Scotland.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the taxi provisions contained in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. We anticipate that consultation on the taxi proposals will take place later this year and will take account of the information contained in Mr Oxley’s report.

Domestic Abuse

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it is taking to ensure that priorities with regard to tackling domestic abuse and violence against women are being fully reflected and implemented as a priority at a local level.

Jackie Baillie: The determination of local priorities for tackling domestic abuse at local level is provided for in CoSLA’s Guidance on Preparing and Implementing a Multi-Agency Strategy to Tackle Violence Against Women . Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of this guidance is a matter for CoSLA. The Scottish Executive established the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund to support local initiatives for tackling domestic abuse. I announced the results of the applications for funding on 28 March. 31 out of 32 councils applied for funding and I am happy to say that all of these areas will receive funding for at least one project.

Dyspraxia

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of each publicly funded project which is aimed specifically at those affected by dyspraxia and what the total budget is of each such project.

Mr Sam Galbraith: This information is not held centrally.

E-Europe Initiative

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any input it has had to the European Commission’s e-Europe initiative.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive contributed to the UK Government’s response to the European Commission’s e-Europe initiative, and earlier this year an official from the Scottish Executive met with the European Commission officials involved in developing the e-Europe initiative.

Education

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is given to the teaching of drama in schools, and whether it has any plans to expand resources in this field.

Peter Peacock: Drama is firmly embedded in the Expressive Arts 5-14 guidelines.

  Qualifications in drama are available at Standard Grade and Higher, and an Advanced Higher is being introduced for first examination in 2001.

  It is for local authorities and schools to decide on the allocation of resources for particular areas of the curriculum.

Education

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are currently available for the training of drama teachers.

Peter Peacock: A one year postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) course is available for the training of drama teachers. This initial teacher education course can be undertaken at three out of the five teacher education institutions offering PGCE courses in Scotland.

Education

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drama teachers were employed in primary and secondary schools in each of the last five years.

Peter Peacock: Detailed information on teachers employed in Scottish schools has been collected at four yearly intervals. The full-time equivalent (FTE) number of teachers in publicly funded secondary schools whose main teaching qualification was in drama or speech and drama is estimated to have been 149 in 1990, 200 in 1994 and 256 in 1998.

  Figures on the number of such teachers employed in primary schools are not held centrally.

Education

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary and secondary schools currently have drama teachers on their staff and what proportion this represents of the total number of schools.

Peter Peacock: It is estimated that, in September 1998, 152 publicly funded secondary schools had at least one teacher with a main teaching subject qualification in drama or speech and drama. This equates to 39% of such schools.

  Corresponding figures for primary schools are not held centrally.

Education

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drama teachers there currently are by local authority and how many of these are currently in full-time employment.

Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally.

Enterprise

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the facilitation in Scotland of "learning partnerships between schools, training centres, firms and research facilities for their mutual benefit", as identified as a goal in the Presidency Conclusions from the Lisbon EU Council Meeting.

Henry McLeish: The Education for Work and Enterprise agenda, promoted by the Scottish Executive, supports a wide range of enterprise education activities aimed at developing links between schools and the world of work which are similar to those identified in the Presidency Conclusions. The strategic aims of the agenda are being taken forward by the National Centre: Education for Work and Enterprise at the University of Strathclyde. The centre will shortly publish a National Strategy with the aim of raising the profile of education for work at local and national level.

  The Scottish Executive Education Department and IBM are currently co-operating over the development of SCOTBEE, Scottish Business Education Exchange, a new project to use ICT to support links between teachers and the world of work. The Scottish Executive is also currently funding two ICT learning centres, one in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire and one in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. Both are examples of education working in partnership with the local community and industries.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what data it provided to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions on the attainment of the targets set out in the 14 "headline" indicators in their document A Better Quality of Life .

Sarah Boyack: Targets for the headline indicators are included in the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions documents A Better Quality of Life , published in May 1999, and the supplementary report Quality of Life Counts , prepared by the Government Statistical Service, published in December 1999. None of the targets stated are for Scotland separately although reference is made that Scottish targets may be found in other documents.

  The Scottish Executive have provided no data to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions on the attainment of targets set out in their documents A Better Quality of Life or Quality of Life Counts.

Executive Publications

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to list each strategy document published since July 1999 and the associated costs of publication and distribution for each.

Mr Jack McConnell: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Ferry Operations

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the extension of the ferry links to the Irish Republic which would qualify for cross-border funding.

Sarah Boyack: No.

Finance

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a comprehensive policy and financial management review has been carried out on (a) Scottish National Heritage, (b) Scottish Environment Protection Agency, (c) Historic Scotland, (d) West of Scotland Water Authority, (e) North of Scotland Water Authority, (f) East of Scotland Water Authority, (g) Crofters Commission, (h) Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, (i) Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, (j) Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, (k) Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest, (l) Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, (m) Highlands and Islands Enterprise, (n) Hill Farming Advisory Committee for Scotland, (o) Historic Buildings Council for Scotland, (p) Lands Tribunal for Scotland, (q) Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, (r) Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland and (s) Scottish Arts Council and to specify, in each case where a review has taken place, when the review was carried out, what the recommendations of the review were and when each of the recommendations was implemented.

Mr Jack McConnell: Policy and Financial Management Review (PFMR) is at the heart of the Executive’s commitment to achieve better quality and more responsive public services. Reviews are usually conducted on a five-year cycle but the timing may be varied. Recent guidance on quinquennial reviews for public bodies has developed from previous approaches and now includes continuous improvement. It ensures that NDPBs:

  are subject to regular and challenging review;

  can deliver the Executive’s agenda effectively and operate in an efficient and integrated way; and

  retain a strong focus on improving future performance, including the scope for more partnership working and better use of technology.

  Details regarding specific NDPBs are provided below.

  


NDPB

  

Last Quinquennial 

  Review Completed or When expected

  

Review Recommendations

  

Recommendations 

  Implemented

  



Scottish Natural Heritage

  

1999 (May)

  

Action Programme agreed 1999

  

Majority implemented between September 

  and December 1999. Some ongoing

  



Advisory Committee on Sites of 

  Special Scientific Interest 

  

No PFMR to date

  
 
 



Scottish Environment Protection 

  Agency

  

No PFMR to date. Review planned 

  2001 (April) 

 
 



Scottish Arts Council  
Never had one. Review delayed because 

  of setting up of Parliament; Review planned for later this year 

  or next

  

No PFMR to date
Review deferred. Review date to 

  be announced 2000-01. 

 
 



Lands Tribunal for Scotland

  

No PFMR to date

  
 
 



Water Authorities: West of Scotland, 


3 H2O established 1996 therefore 

  PFMRs due next year
North of Scotland, and East of 

  Scotland 

  

The 3 Water Authorities were established 

  in 1996 therefore PFMRs due next year

  
 
 



Local Government Boundary Commission 

  for Scotland

  

Reviewed 1995

  

Commission to be relocated to its 

  own offices
Ensure Best Value on printing and 

  publishing

  

1995
 
1995

  



Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency

  

No comprehensive review. Prior 

  Options review 1995. Next due 2000 

  

SFPA to remain an Agency

  

Some minor amendments to the Framework 

  Document

  



Historic Scotland

  

Policy and Finance Review 1992-93

  

To remain an Agency for the next 

  4 years; pursue market testing and contracting out programme; 

  introduce new mechanism for handling policy in framework document; 

  review sponsorship responsibilities

  

Implemented 1994-1997

  



Royal Commission on the Ancient 

  and Historical Monuments of Scotland

  

PFMR 1998-99

  

Retain present status; core functions 

  to be continued; privatisation or contracting out all activities 

  not feasible; contract out in discrete areas; merger not cost 

  effective or more efficient.

  

1999

  



Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland

  

Policy review 1997-98

  

Retain present status, objectives 

  & membership

  

1998

  



Historic Buildings Council for 

  Scotland 

  

Policy review 1997-98

  

Retain present status, objectives 

  & membership

  

1998

  



Crofters' Commission

  

PFMR currently ongoing

  
 
 



Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  

Prior options completed 1996 (Dec). 

  Stage II completed March 1999 

  

Retain current status; several 

  other recommendations 

  

Majority implemented. Some ongoing

  



Hill Farming Advisory Committee 

  for Scotland

  

1998

  

Merger with Scottish Agricultural 

  Consultative Panel 

  

New body effective from September 

  1998

  



Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd 

  

Not covered by PFMR

  
 
 



Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd

  

Not covered by PFMR

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has or is aware of any plans to introduce new charges in the fishing industry.

Mr John Home Robertson: We have no plans to introduce new charges in the fishing industry; nor are we aware of any such plans.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any plans to review charges in the fishing industry.

Mr John Home Robertson: DETR announced recently proposals for amended charges for maritime services. Otherwise, I am aware of no plans to review charges in the fishing industry.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out in the last 12 months into charges in the fishing industry and whether it is aware of any studies planned in the future.

Mr John Home Robertson: I am not aware of any studies into charges in the fishing industry which have been carried out in the last 12 months or are planned for the future.

Flood Prevention

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have applied for grant assistance to implement anti-flooding measures; whether grant assistance for anti-flooding measures will be made available to both private and commercial properties, and on what basis financial bids must be submitted.

Sarah Boyack: Councils may promote flood prevention schemes under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 to mitigate the flooding of any non-agricultural land in their areas. Schemes have to be confirmed by Scottish Ministers. The construction of confirmed schemes attract grant subject to meeting cost-benefit criteria.

  The following authorities, or their predecessors, have applied for grant for 47 schemes in total; Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, City of Edinburgh, City of Glasgow, Highland, Midlothian, Moray, Perth & Kinross, Stirling and Scottish Borders.

Health

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist patients and families of patients with travel expenses incurred attending the National Cochlea Implant Centre.

Susan Deacon: Assistance is available for eligible patients and families of patients who incur travelling expenses for cochlear implantation services at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock and the City Hospital in Edinburgh. A non-means tested scheme is available to patients from the Highlands and Islands Health Board areas. A means tested scheme applies to the rest of Scotland. In addition, health boards have discretion to consider travel costs of patients referred to national facilities such as the Cochlear Implant Centres and who are not eligible for assistance under the statutory travel schemes above. The National Services Division (NSD) of the Common Services Agency may also consider assisting patients with travel costs where they need to make frequent referrals onwards from national services, such as the Implant Centre, to other highly specialist services.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation process has been undertaken with the health boards in Scotland in relation to fluoridation.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is currently considering the timing of and most appropriate arrangements for consultation on this issue, including public consultation. It is my intention to announce further proposals on this after the conclusions are known of the review of the safety of fluoridation currently being conducted by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent figure is for the number of blocked beds in Scotland.

Iain Gray: On the basis of the latest available information, discharge arrangements for 2,391 patients have been delayed for more than two days.

  From 1 April this year, this information will be collected quarterly against agreed national definitions. The first national data will be available shortly after the first census on 30 June.

Health

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to instruct the NHS to collect data concerning fibromyalgia for reporting in the future by the Information and Statistics Division.

Susan Deacon: Information on fibromyalgia is already collected by the Information and Statistics Division and data are available on request.

Health Promotion

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1282 by Iain Gray on 2 March 2000, what measures are being taken to educate and inform parents of the benefits of the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccination.

Susan Deacon: A leaflet, designed to answer parents’ questions about MMR vaccination, has been produced by the Health Education Board for Scotland and has been issued to health boards and general practitioners.

  The Chief Medical Officer has also written to health boards and general practitioners to provide detailed information about the investigation of the alleged links between MMR and Crohn’s disease and autism, seeking their help and that of Primary Care Teams in reassuring parents and encouraging them to have their children vaccinated.

Local Government Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4405 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 February 2000, when it expects to complete its review of the account taken of indicators of deprivation and poverty within the local government finance distribution system.

Mr Jack McConnell: We expect to complete the review this year, in time for the conclusions to be considered before the 2001-02 local government finance distribution is agreed.

Meat Industry

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce red tape and regulatory costs which operators of smaller abattoirs need to comply with, and whether any evidence exists to indicate that such red tape and regulation can result in (a) longer journey times for animals going to slaughter and (b) detrimental economic implications for the operators.

Susan Deacon: A review of red tape in the meat industry was carried out last autumn. The group reported on 13 December and the Scottish Executive accepted most of its recommendations. While there was no discussion in the report of journey times to slaughter, there was consideration of the economic implications for small abattoirs. Action to implement the report recommendations is being pursued urgently.

  Copies of the report and of the Executive response have been placed in SPICe.

NHS Equipment

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of radiology equipment in each of Scotland’s health boards is more than ten years old and what the time scale is for replacing such equipment.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive.

  The prime responsibility for assessing the need for and the timetable for provision of all medical equipment falls to individual NHS Trusts. In reaching their decisions they should take account of the age and condition of the equipment.

  In addition, £12.5 million is being made available through the Capital Modernisation Fund for the replacement of linear accelerators. This funding will be made available over three years. Proposals from the relevant NHS Trusts are currently being assessed.

  The Scottish Executive has asked the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee to develop proposals for a framework for capital investment in clinical radiology equipment in the National Health Service in Scotland. This will inform the Scottish Executive Health Department’s capital investment plans.

NHS Equipment

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will institute a Haemodialysis Unit within Edinburgh Sick Children’s Hospital.

Susan Deacon: There are no current plans to institute a Haemodialysis Unit within Edinburgh’s Sick Children’s Hospital. Treatment for children suffering chronic renal failure, requiring haemodialysis, is undertaken at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow with a network of local clinicians in local centres such as Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

  In Scotland, there are approximately six to 10 cases of chronic renal failure requiring haemodialysis at any one time, and around five cases progress to transplantation annually. In order to ensure that clinical standards are maintained and that clinical staff have the necessary experience and support to deal with the complex nature of this condition, a certain minimum caseload must be maintained.

New Deal

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it currently employs on the New Deal scheme, broken down by department.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive currently employs 12 staff under the New Deal. They work in the following departments and agencies:

  


Area

  

Number

  



Development Department

  

1

  



Enterprise and Lifelong Learning 

  Department

  

1

  



Health Department

  

1

  



Rural Affairs Department

  

2

  



Corporate Services

  

2

  



Executive Secretariat

  

1

  



Finance

  

1

  



Scottish Public Pensions Agency

  

1

  



Student Awards Agency for Scotland

  

1

  



Registers of Scotland

  

1

Rape

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the average waiting time for a rape case to come to trial for each of the last five years and what efficiency measures are being taken to ensure that procedures in the crown court and sheriff court are speeded up.

Colin Boyd QC: We do not have information about the average waiting time for a rape case to come to trial. Rape must be prosecuted in the High Court and proceedings are subject to the time bar provisions which require a trial to commence within 12 months of an accused's first appearance in court if he is granted bail, and if he is remanded in custody, within 110 days of his committal for trial.

Right to Buy Scheme

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available the detailed methodology which was used by Scottish Homes to predict the likely take-up of right to buy if it were extended to all tenants of charitable housing associations.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I have placed a copy of the detailed methodology outlined as part of our proposal in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. There are no proposals to extend the right to buy to all tenants of charitable housing associations.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the costs of the consultancy work outlined in the Strategic Roads Review in relation to the proposed A876 Kincardine Bridge Scheme.

Sarah Boyack: The estimated cost of the consultancy work at Kincardine is £1.65 million inclusive of VAT. This includes the fees of the two main consultants, their sub-consultants and the survey and modelling needed for the design.

Roads

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what effects its proposals on trunk road management and maintenance will have on local authorities and whether it has made any estimate of the number of direct labour organisation jobs which may be lost as a result of these proposals.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive cannot prejudge whether jobs may be lost in advance of the outcome of the tender competition and what views existing and future employers subsequently take on any transfer of staff should the existing operators be unsuccessful in the competition.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, now that the A701 is not being funded via the Private Finance Initiative, whether the Challenge Fund money awarded to Midlothian should be withheld.

Sarah Boyack: The £2.5 million capital consent awarded from the previous Conservative Government’s Transport Challenge Fund is being used to help finance the project which, as well as constructing a stretch of dual carriageway from New Milton to Straiton, includes a package of measures which will allow the use of the existing A701 as a dedicated route for pedestrians, equestrians, cyclists and local traffic. The council’s project is being financed by conventional procurement methods and the consent continues to be advanced to the council on the agreed phased arrangements to set against total costs.

School Meals

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider undertaking an investigation into the schools meals service to establish whether the service is consistent with its own targets for improving the diet of young people in Scotland.

Peter Peacock: We have no plans to undertake such an investigation. Education authorities are encouraged to ensure that their contract procedures in relation to school meals provision take account of the Model Nutritional Guidelines for Catering Specifications in the Public Sector, as set out in Eating for Health – A Diet Action Plan for Scotland .

  A wide range of initiatives to support healthy eating within the school environment is also underway, ranging from the introduction of breakfast clubs in schools through to schools working to achieve the Scottish Healthy Choices Award and the establishment of School Nutrition Action Groups.

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed in the Scottish Executive information directorate broken down by grade, whether or not they are information officers, and where they work in the directorate.

Mr Jack McConnell: There are 54 staff employed in the Information Directorate, 34 work in the Press Office, six in Publicity, four on Strategic Communications with 10 administrative support staff. The Director is a member of the Senior Civil Service. There are:

  Information Officer Grades

  Five Chief Press Officers at C1 grade

  10 Senior Information Officers at B3 grade

  16 Information Officers at B2 grade

  Three Assistant Information Officers at B1 grade

  All these staff are members of the Information Officer grades.

  Other Staff

  In addition the following staff who are members of the administrative grades are employed:

  One grade C1

  Three grade B2

  Three grade B1

  One grade A4

  Three grade A3

  One grade A2

  Seven grade A1

Scottish Executive Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department employees resigned in the past year excluding retirals.

Mr Jack McConnell: The number of employees who left the Scottish Executive between 1 March 1999 and 1 March 2000 inclusive and had been assigned to the Rural Affairs Department are set out below.

  


Reason for Leaving

  

Employees

  



Resignations (primarily to pursue 

  alternative opportunities)

  

45

  



Age Retirement

  

10

  



Other

  

16

  



Total

  

71

  



  In addition, 119 staff moved from the Rural Affairs Department to other Scottish Executive Departments in this time period following reorganisation.

Sexual Health

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address inequalities in access to sexual health services, both within Scotland and compared to England and Wales.

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to implement a central strategy to improve detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

Susan Deacon: The White Paper, Towards a Healthier Scotland , identified sexual health as a priority health topic and set out proposals for improving sexual health, acknowledging that health services have found it hard to tackle the issue in the past. The proposals included the introduction of a national demonstration project, "Healthy Respect", to develop best practice in the promotion of sexual health and the provision of funding to enable the voluntary sector’s expertise to be made available in more schools. Both initiatives are being implemented and will build on existing work.

  I have announced my intention to bring together a group from the public, private and voluntary sectors. In order to provide a co-ordinated and informed overview of this work, and to develop a comprehensive sexual health strategy. A review of genito-medicine services will form part of that work.

  The NHS has a central role in the provision of sexual health services. Health boards use their knowledge of the health needs of their local populations to develop their sexual health services. Inequalities in access to services is one of the aspects considered by health boards and Trusts.

  NHS bodies are provided with guidance to assist them in planning the provision of services, including sexual health services. For example, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) have completed work on the guideline Management of Genital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection, which will be distributed to health boards, NHS Trusts and other specialist groups in Scotland within the next few weeks.

  Other statutory bodies also have a role in the promotion of sexual health through, for example, the provision of information and advice. We want to ensure that the development of the health promoting schools concept takes account of the importance of sexual health.

Smoking

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates is being spent by the NHS in Scotland annually on smoking-related illness.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally. The precise cost of treating smoking-related disease is difficult to ascertain, since cost data collected centrally from the National Health Service in Scotland cannot be attributed to individual disease. However, our best estimate is that the annual cost to the NHS in Scotland of treating illness and disease caused by smoking is approximately £140 million in terms of GP visits, prescriptions, treatment and operations (Buck et al,  Cost effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention ,   1997).

Sport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to promote the Edinburgh Marathon as an international event to rank alongside events such as the London, New York and Chicago marathons; what the value was of the 1999 Edinburgh Marathon to tourism; what the projected value to tourism is of the event in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 and whether it will sponsor or support adverts in specialist running magazines such as Runners World and its equivalent in magazines in other countries to advertise the event.

Mr Sam Galbraith: sportscotland has contributed to staging the event in 1999-2001 with an award of £100,000 from its Lottery Sports Fund Major Events Programme to support its organisation and promotion. Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board promotes the event generically in the same way as other events that take place in the city. The promotion of the actual event itself lies with the organisers, Edinburgh and Fife Councils and the Scottish Athletic Federation, and the sponsors, Puma. The estimated value of the Edinburgh Marathon to tourism is shown below.

  


1999

  

Net visitor expenditure

  

£660,000

  



2000

  

Net visitor expenditure

  

£1.5 million

  



2001

  

Net visitor expenditure

  

£2.3 million

  



2002

  

Net visitor expenditure

  

£3.0 million

  



2003

  

Net visitor expenditure not yet 

  predicted

  
 



  I understand that this year’s event has been cancelled following Fife Council’s decision not to continue providing funding for the project.

Statistics

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it intends to put in place to implement proposals equivalent to those set out in the Her Majesty's Government White Paper Building Trust in Statistics .

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is firmly committed to the principles set out in the White Paper. The provision of high quality statistics free from political interference is vital if there is to be informed decision-making and debate in the Executive, the Parliament and beyond. It is essential that official statistics are collected, analysed and made available in a way that has the trust and confidence of the Scottish people.

  The Executive is working with the United Kingdom Government on this. In October, we published a Concordat on Statistics along with the Memorandum of Understanding. These set out the basis on which we will work with the UK Government. More detailed arrangements are being put in place to ensure that the needs of the devolved administration are met. Since the publication of the White Paper, we have been developing a Framework for National Statistics which takes account of these needs. We will be jointly publishing this in the near future. It will set out the roles and responsibilities of Ministers and officials both at a UK level and in devolved administrations. As Minister for Finance, I will be responsible for co-ordination of National Statistics across the Scottish Executive.

  Under National Statistics, we will introduce new planning arrangements in which we will be actively seeking the views of users of statistics, including MSPs, on their needs and priorities. A Scottish Statistics Plan setting out a programme for the coming year is published today as a consultative document.

  We expect the formal launch of National Statistics to take place in early June. The Statistics Commission will play an important role in ensuring the integrity and development of National Statistics. We will wish to have early discussions with the Commission on how it might operate in Scotland to ensure that Scottish interests are properly represented.

  In addition, the framework notes that the Parliament may if it wishes set up arrangements for enhanced scrutiny of National Statistics as a further assurance of their integrity and quality. I will be proposing dialogue on this matter in the near future.

  I am placing a copy of the Scottish Executive Statistics Plan in the Parliament's Information Centre. Additional copies are available in the Document Supply Centre. The Framework for National Statistics will be added in due course.

Trade and Industry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made to the Department of Trade and Industry regarding matters affecting Scotland which were on the agenda of the World Trade Organisation meeting in Geneva on 25 February 2000.

Henry McLeish: Representations made to the UK Government invariably require to be made in confidence in the same way as representations received by the Scottish Executive.

Voluntary Sector

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4407 by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the contributions to voluntary organisations shown for the Education and Industry Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4407 by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the contributions to voluntary organisations shown for the Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4407 by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the contributions to voluntary organisations shown for the Home Department.

Jackie Baillie: The information given in response to question S1W-4407 showed the level of funding made available by The Scottish Office to voluntary organisations for 1998-99 by Department. Since that response was given an exercise has been undertaken that shows the current state of play of general Scottish Executive funding for the voluntary sector in 2000-01 by Department. The information is set out in the table below.

  Scottish Executive Funding of the Voluntary Sector: Spending Plans for 2000-01

  


Department

  

Policy Area

  

Amount
£ million

  



Development

  

Housing

  

2.370

  


 

Poverty

  

0.095

  


 

Homelessness

  

0.321

  


 

Rural Community Transport Fund

  

0.400

  



Education

  

Gaelic

  

0.608

  


 

Childcare

  

0.428

  


 

Special Educational Needs

  

2.000

  


 

Other Education

  

0.030

  


 

Children & Families

  

0.823

  


 

Sport

  

3.000

  


 

Social Work Education & Training

  

0.765

  


 

Built heritage

  

1.500

  


 

Community Education 

  

1.380

  



Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

  

Disability issues/post-16 education

  

0.035

  



Executive Secretariat

  

Voluntary sector infrastructure, 

  active communities and volunteering

  

6.000

  



Health

  

Health

  

0.098

  


 

Adult social welfare

  

1.692

  


 

Health

  

1.532

  



Justice

  

Legal advice and dispute services

  

0.060

  


 

Adult Offenders & Victim Support

  

2.806

  


 

Family Law

  

0.688

  



Rural Affairs

  

Rural Partnership Fund

  

2.823

  



TOTAL

  
 

29.450

Voluntary Sector

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4407 by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the contributions to voluntary organisations by the Development Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4407 by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the contributions to voluntary organisations by the Health Department.

Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-5824.

Young People

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place copies of its Action Programme for Youth in the Document Supply Centre; how much money it will invest in the short and long term in the Action Programme and from which budget heading, and whether it will make a ministerial statement.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Action Programme for Youth is our pledge in the Programme for Government to launch an initiative which values young people and reflects their aspirations and needs. We are working with a range of voluntary and statutory agencies to engage with a wide range of young people on a wide range of issues and afford them opportunities to feed their views directly to us. As part of this process, we are holding a Youth Summit in the Civic Centre, Motherwell on 19 June which we hope will involve well over 1,000 young people.

  The Executive has invested £70,000 in the initiative to date from its community education budget. We will assess the need for any further funding after the Summit.

  I will keep the Parliament informed as the initiative develops.